Record punching machine



April 1, 1941. w. SCHEERER RECORD PUNCHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28,, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOR 4% 0% ATTORNEY April 1, 1941. w. SCHEERER RECORD PUNCHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I J INVENTOR 23 M M ATTORNEY April 1, 1941 -w. SCHEERER RECORD PUNCHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 28, .1939

% llljqENfl'OR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 1, 1941 RECORD PUNCHING BIACHINE Walter Scheerer, Berlin-Lichtcrfelde, Germany, assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 28, 1939,'Serial No. 306,444

In Germany February 20, 1939 6 Claims. (01. 164-115) This invention relates to record card perforating machines and more particularly to machines of the type in which a record card is punched column by column under control of manually operable keys or under control of a present data receiving and storing mechanism.

The principal object of the invention is to provide for the card'carriage of such machine, an improved controlling mechanism which eliminates the necessity for the separate card .advancing control devices heretofore required, as for example in the machine disclosed in Patent No. 1,962,750, granted to H. L. Read and datedJune 12, 1934. In the machine to which the invention is applied there is provided a row of punches position, prearranged circuit connections come 5 into operation to then punch data into the card under control of the preset data storing device. In accordance with the present invention, the prearranged circuit connections are themselves utilized to also control the initial positioning of the card, taking over the function of the skipbar, thus eliminatin the necessity therefor.

A specific object of the invention is to provide .a set-up mechanism with connections to thepunches to control their operation in accordance with the data set up, with the connections 1 arranged to cause the positioning of the card in readiness to receive the data in preselected columns.

A further object is to provide a selectively settable control for the connections which, when set in one position, will cause the punching of all data or digits set up in the set-up device; when set in a second position, will cause skipping of all columns in which zeros might be punched and when set in a third position, will cause skipping of zero punching in positions to the left of the first significant figure. When the settable control is in its second or third position, the punch controlling connections cause the card toadvance directly to the first column in which a significant digit is to be punched, skipping over all columns to the left thereof.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an isometric drawing of the record card carriage and the. for;

7 Fig. 2 is a detail of the essential operating elements of the punching section of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the'card carriage escapement mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the punch controlling contact, known as the bail contact, and the operating devices therefor.

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram of the electric circuits of the machine required for the operation of the mechanism of'the invention.

The punching machine is generally of the form shown in the Lee and Phillips Patent No. 1,772,186, grantedAugust 5, 1930, and the description thereof will be limited to the features essential to an understanding of the present invention.

In Fig. 2 punch selecting magnets II] are provided, there being one for each of the twelve index point positions of the record card. Energizetion of magnet II] will attract its armature to rock an arm II in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot l2, thus moving key I3 downward- 'ly to rock a bell crank 14 which has suitable connection with an interposer l5 mounted for horizontal reciprocation. The forward end of interposer- I5 is suitably guided between an operating bar HS and the upper end of a punch l1.

Forward movement of the position its widest portion between bar I6 and punch l1, so that subsequent counterclockwise rocking of bar It about pivot I 8 will move the interposer and punch downwardly to perforate the record card l9. A notch 20 in the interposer cooperates with .a bail 2| to rock the same in a counterclockwise direction when the interposer is moved toward the left. Rockingof bail 2| in such manner will draw a hook-shaped member 22 (see Fig. 4) toward the left to close a pair of contacts 23.

As will be explained in connection with the circuit diagram, contacts 23 complete a circuit through the punch magnet 24, causing it to attract its armature 25 and through linkage-26 draw downwardly on the bar S6 to cause depression of the selected punch. Depression of key 13 may, of course, be elfected independently of the operation of the magnet In for the purpose of manually controlling punching operations.

control mechanism thereinterposer will Disposed beneath the interposers 20 is a bail 21 which is carried by rod 28, upon one end of which is secured an arm 29 (see Fig. 3) for operating the escapement mechanism. This mechanism comprises a holding pawl 30 pivoted at 3| to the frame of the machine and a stepping pawl 32 loosely pivoted on rod 28 and normally'urged by a spring 33 into engagement with the teeth 34 on the upper edge of the carriage rack 35. Rocking of rod 28 in a counterclockwise direction under action of an interposer l will lower pawl 30 into engagement with a tooth 34 to hold the rack 35 in position, while punching is being effected. This .action, at the same time, raises pawl 32 out of engagement with teeth 34 and by virtue of its loose connection with rod 28 will move slightly toward the right in readiness to intercept the next tooth 34 when the rod 28 is returned to its original position.

Referring to Fig. l, the rack 35 is suitably mounted for horizontal movement in the frame of the machine and may be manually moved toward the right to the position shown wherein a record card [9 is placed in position with the first column thereof in line with the punches IT. A finger piece 36 pivoted on a cross'arm 31 of the carriage is utilized to return the same toward the right. When this finger piece is engaged, it turns slightly about its pivot 38 before moving the carriage.

When the rack 35 is in its extreme left hand position, thatis, when the last column of the card is beneath the row of punches IT, a pin 39 (see Fig. 3) engages the common blade of contacts 40, 4| causing the latter to close and the former to open. When the carriage is returned to the right, the contacts 40, 4| return to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which they remain until the carriage is again advanced to its last column position. A pair of contacts 42 is provided (Fig. 2) hich,

when the punch magnet 24 is energized, are opened by the linkage 26. Directly above the stepping pawl 32 (Fig. 3) is a pair of contacts 43,

which, when the pawl is rocked out of engagement with teeth 34, close. The purposes of these several pairs of contacts will beexplained in connection with the circuit diagram.

In Fig. 1, gear teeth out on the under side of the rack 35 cooperate with suitable gearing 44' which is connected to the usual spring barrel 45 and governor 46 which tend to move the rack toward the left at a regulated rate and which effect such movement under control of the escapement mechanism just described.

Rack 35 is provided with extensions or arms 31 and 41 between which a pattern or master card 48 is positioned in columnar alignment with the blank card l9 and which is adapted to be moved back and forth with the rack. An arm 49 carried by the rack 35 is provided for cooperation with the card l9 to move it column by column past the punches l1.

Positioned above thepattern card 48 is the usual contact roller 50 and directly below the roller is a row of brushes 51. These brushes and roller are the so-called duplicating brushes which sense the prepunched master card 48 and control duplication of data thereon in thecard' l3. As this feature of the machine forms nopart of the present invention and as it is Well known, it need not be further described herein.

Referring to Figs. 1 and, 3, beneath the pawl 32 lies the free end of a so-called skip-lift lever '53- which is pivoted at 69. For the purposes of the present invention, a rod 6| is arranged to abut the under side of lever 59 in line with pawl 32 and is suitably mounted for vertical reciprocation. The lower end of rod 6| is connected to an arm of armature 62 so that, when magnet 63 is energized, rod 6| will be elevated and will raise pawl 32 out of engagement with teeth 34, freeing the rack 35 for leftward movement. The rod 6| carries a collar 64 which latches over armature 65 of magnet 66 so that the rod, when raised, will remain up until magnet 66 is energized. The interval between the successive energization of ma nets 63 and 66 will therefore determine the extent that rack 35 will advance uninterruptedly and it is apparent that by adjusting the speed of operation of the magnets and the rate of movement of rack 35, the carriage may advance one or more teeth.

Armature 62 of magnet 63, when the magnet is energized, pushes a rod 61 (Fig. 3) toward the rightto shift pairs of contacts designated 63a, 63b, 63c and 63d. These contacts when shifted remain in such position until magnet 66 is subsequently energized. This latching is effected through the connection between rod 6! and armature 62, whereby when the latter is rocked clockwise to elevate rod 6 l, the rod is latched by armature 65 and will cause armature 62 to remain latcheduntil released by magnet 66.

Referring now to Fig. 5, in the upper part thereof is shown diagrammatically the settable device upon which a number or amount may be set. This device comprises a plurality of columns of contact segments 69, each column having a segment 69 for each of the digits. Adjacent to each column of segments is a common conductor strip HI, which may be electrically connected to' any related segment as by a bridging brush ll. Each column of segments together with its strip 10 and'brush H constitutes a denominational order of the device and eight such orders are shown. The position of a brush determines the digit set up in the related order and in Fig. 5. The several brushes are set to represent the number 00350076.

Each strip 10 is wired to a plug socket 12 from which plug connections 13 are made to sockets 14 in accordance with the columns of the card in which the various digital values are to be punched. A socket 14 is provided for each possible card column and is identified therewith so that, if as in Fig. 5 it is desired to punch the number set up in the settable device in columns 40 to 4'? of the card, the plug connections are made as shown in the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 1, upon arm 41 is mounted a brush carrier 15 provided with electrically connected brushes 16 and IT, brush 11 being designed to cooperate with a common conducting strip 18 and the brushes 16 being designed to cooperate with eighty individual conducting blocks 19, there being one block for each of the eighty columns of the record cards. The strip 18 and blocks 19 are mounted in a block of insulating material which is suitably secured to the frame of the machine. One of the brushes I6 is always in contact with a block 19 corresponding to the column of the record under the punches l1. Each block 19 is electrically connected to a plug socket 14 to which the plug connections 13 are made as explained.

The complete operation of the machine will now be traced with particular reference to Fig. 5. It will be assumed for purposes of explanation that the card I9 is to be manually punched in columns 1 to 9 and then punched in columns aas 7,1 :1 e

40 to 47 under control of the set-up device. For this set-up the plug connectio nsi'l'tfere made as indicated inFig..5. 1 z- After card. is has been placed in position in the machine and the rack 35. moved toward the right to bring the first column of the card 9 into registration with the punches .l l, switch 8| is closed to supply current .to lines 82 and83.

Operation of keys I3 is now efiected to punch columns 1 to 9, one by one; each key depression being followed by a punch operation and Sumequent escapement to the next column. As explained above, operation of any key l3 will cause closure of contacts 23, energizing magnet 24 to effect punching and escapement.

The energizing cir'cuit is traceable from line 82, contacts 40, punch'm-agnet 24, contacts 23, normally closed contacts 636 of a relay 63, wire 88 to line 83. After the ninth column has been manually punched, the card is escaped to present the tenth column to the row of punches l1. The operations thus far are the same as usual in this type of machine.

At this time or when the .first card column is at the brushes, if no manual punching is to be effected, the operator closes a switch 89 which immediately closes a circuit traceable from switch 8|, line 82, contacts 40, switch 89, normally closed contacts 86a of a relay 88, escapement release magnets 63, contacts 84b, contacts 631), wire 88, line 83 back to switch 8|. This circuit energizes magnet 63, raising pawl 32 (Fig. .3) out of engagement with the rack teeth 34 and the card now advances uninterruptedly toward the left.

Magnet 63 also shifts its contacts63a to 63:1, and

these remain shifted-until magnet 66 is subsequently energized, which occurs as follows. I

When the fortieth column of the card arrives at the column of punches, a brush 16 will connect the contact block 19- of the fortieth column to common strip 18 and at such time a circuit will be traceable from switch 8!, line 82, contacts 40, wire 90, contacts 63a. (now closed), wire 9|, strip 78, brushes l1, (5, block 19 (column l),

plug socket l4, connection 13 to socket 12 (of the i left hand or highest order of the set-up device), strip 10, brush H, 0' segment 58, lowermost wire 92, a closed switch 93, 0 magnet l8, contacts 84a, magnet 66 and relay 84 in parallel therewith, contacts'E-Sc (now closed) ,wire 88, line a 83, back to switch 8|. Magnet 85 thereupon releases the rod Bl (Fig; 3) so that pawl 32'will' descend and interrupt rack 34 with the fortieth card column at the column of punches 17.

It is to be noted that magnet l0 isincluded-in the circuit just traced-but this magnet is relatively slow acting and the resistance of magnet 66 and relay 84 is such that the magnet, 18 does not become eifectively energized and before it can do so relay contacts Ma open to break the circuit and the companion contacts 8401 close to 7 provide a new path for the circuit to magnet l8.

With the release of rod 6|,t-he armature 52 of magnet 63 is restored and as a result the contacts 63a to 63d return to their normal positions.

With the closure of contacts 84d a circuit is now traceable through the magnet I'll. This circuit is a holding circuit for relay 84 and is traceable from switch 8|, line 82, contacts 40, wire 98,

contacts 84c now closed, wire 9!, strip 18, brushes 71, I8, plug 19 in column 40, socket '14, connection 13, socket 72 in the highest order, strip 18, brush 1|, segment 89, lowermost wire 92, switch 93, 0 magnet 10, contacts 8401 now closed, magnet 85,

contacts v811a, .punch contacts 42, line 83 to switch 81.. Magnet is a winding-on the same core as magnet 84 and will maintain the contacts 84a to 84:2 shifted from the position shown, even though magnet 84 becomes deenergized. This arrangement is a well known sc -called double wound relay.

Energization of magnet 18 will advance its interposer I 5' (Fig. 2) which through the bail 2! causes closure of contacts 23 which in turn cause energization of the punch magnet .24 and as a result the '0 punch i l is operated to perforate the zero position in the 40th column of the record card. With the operation of the punch, contacts 42 are opened to break 'thelholding circuit for magnet 85, whereupon the contacts 84a to 84d return .to their normal position. The resultant closure of contacts Mb enables the completion of the following circuit while the 40th card column is still in the punching position. This circuit is traceable from the switch 8!, through the zero magnet ID as :before and from this point extends through relay magnet 88, contacts 8% (now closed),'contacts 83b, wire 88, line 83 to switch 81. .Theccntacts 86a of the relay 86 are consequently .openedand are provided for the purpose of preventing the reenergization of the escapement release magnet 63 at this time.

When the punch magnet 24 is energized the rod 28 (Figs. '2 and 3) is rocked as a result and the escapement mechanism is operated to advance the card carriage one step. The contacts 43 are accordingly closed by the pawl .32 and, with contacts 8% closed by relay 86, a circuit is traceable from switch 8|, line '82, contacts 40, relay magnet 81, escapement contacts 43, contacts 86b, magnet 91, wire 88, line 83 to switch 8|. Magnets 86'and 91 constitute'a double wound relay and the circuit just traced provides for holding the contacts 880, and 88b shifted until the card has advanced to the next column.

Just before the next card columnarrives fully in punching position, the circuit through magnets [8, 66 and 84 is again completed so that contacts 841) open before the contacts 86a are closed again and in this manner further energization of magnet '63 is prevented during the punching of the successive card columns. .In the same manner as for'the' 40th column, the holding circuit for magnet 84 through magnet 85 is again set up. The-0 magnet I0 is fully energized and a zero is punched in the 41st column with accompanying escapement of the card to the 42nd column, wherein the same set of circuits is again energized in the order set forth, with the circuits at this time going through the 3 magnet 10, which :is selected because'of the setting of the brush 'H at 3-in the third column from the left of the settable device.

In succession, the remaining columns are similarly punched inaccordance with the digits set up in the related orders of'the set-up device. When punching has been efiecte'd in column 47 under control of the 6 magnet l0 and the card carriage is escaped from this columng'there is now no circuit to energize the relay magnet 81 and, when contacts 43 open, the magnet 86 will be deenergized enabling theclosure of its contacts 86a,- whereupon the escapement release magnet 63 will be energized through a circuit from the switch 8|, line 82, contacts 40, switch 89, contacts 86a, release magnet 63, contacts 84b and 831) now closed, wire 88, line 83, back to switch 8|. The card carriage is now free to advance uninterruptedly and when it reaches the last column position, the pin 39 (Fig. 3) will cause closure of contacts 4|, setting up a circuit traceable from switch 8|, line 82, contacts 4|, contacts 840, magnet 66 and relay 84 in parallel, contacts 630 (now closed), wire 88, line 83, back to switch 8|.

Energization of magnet 66 will cause stopping of the card in the last column. position and, with contacts 40 open in this position, no further circuits will be completed and the card may be manually removed from the carriage and a new card placed therein. Before the carriage is manually returned to its first column punching position, the switch 89 is opened so that the release ma net 63 will not be efiective until the switch is again closed by the operator.

According to the circuit arrangements just explained, the magnet 63 is energized in any desired card column and the carriage is free to advance uninterruptedly to bring a selected column, in which set-up data is to be punched, to the line of punches. As soon as the selected column arrivesat the line of punches, the stop magnet 66 is energized to interrupt the advance of the card with the selected column in punching position. Immediately thereafter, the circuit through the punch selecting magnet I is rendered effective to perforate the set-up digit, with both the interrupting circuit and the punch selecting circuit extending through the appropriate columnar position of the set-up device, so that U the set-up device in rapid succession first causes stopping of the card and then punching of the data therein.

When it is desired that all zero punching be eliminated, the switch 93 ismoved to its 1 position and it will be apparent that, with the switch in such position and the card carriage released to present the first punching column to the row of punches, no circuits may be completed When the 40th and 41st columns are at the punches (since for the example chosen, the setup device in positions related to these two columns is set at zero). The stopping circuit will accordingly not be completed until the 42nd column is at the punches, at which time the stopping and punching circuits will be completed as explained in connection with the 40th column with switch 93 in its 3 position.

After the digits 3 and have been perforated in the 42nd and 43rd columns respectively, the release magnet 63 is energized when contacts 85a close following escapement to column 44 as the next two positions are set at zero and the circuit through relay 84 cannot be established for these columns to prevent the energization of the release magnet. Consequently, the columns 44 and 45 are moved past the brushes and, when the 46th column arrives in punching position, the circuit for the stop magnet 66 is completed through the 7 brush H 'to hold the card for punching this column, from which escapement takes place to the next column to punch the last figure in the set-up device;

When it is desired to eliminate the punching of only the zeros to the left of the first significant figure, the switch 93 is moved to its 2 position in which'it causes the contacts 53d to be included in the lowermost wire 92. Under this condition, when the magnet 63 is first energized to initially advance the card, contacts 6311 will be opened when the 40th column arrives at the punches and accordingly the card will not be interrupted until the 42nd column is in punching position, at which time the stop magnet 66 is energized and contacts 63d closeas a result.

said member and said settable device when Punching in the 42nd and, 43rd columns takes place as before. Punching of zeros in columns 44 and takes place in the same manner as though significant digits were present in these positions, since contacts 63d are now closed and will not open again until after the 47th column is punched.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the: invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a punching machine, a settable device having a plurality of denominationally ordered sections each settable to represent any digit, a row of punches, operating means therefor, a card carriage for receiving a card containing columns of. punching positions and for moving the card columns past said row of punches in succession, means-for moving the carriage, an escapement mechanism for controlling said moving means, means for associating said ordered sections each with one of a like number of consecutive card columns, a member carried'by the carriage, means for releasing said escapement mechanism, to enable the card to be freely moved past said row of punches, means controlled by the first card column associated with a section of the settable device arrives at the column of punches, for causing said escapement mechanism to interrupt the movement of the card, means controlled by the escapement mechanism, when the card is interrupted, for causing the section associated with the card column at the punches, to control the operation of said punches in accordance with the digit set up in said section, and means controlled by the punch operating means for causing the escapement mechanism to advance the card column by col-' umn, to enable each section to control the punching in its related column of the digit set up in the sections.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which said escapement releasing means is rendered effective upon punching in the last card column associated with a section of the settable device, to enable the card to be freely advanced to move the remaining columns past the row of punches, and means controlled by the carriage when the card reaches its extreme position for causing the escapement mechanism to interrupt the carriage.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which a selectively settable device is provided and associated with said settable device, said selectively settable device being arranged when set in one position to control the escapement mechanism to interrupt the card in the column related to the first section, and when set in another position to control the escapement mechanism to interrupt the card only in the column related to the first section containing a significant digit, whereby zeros will not be punched in columns to the left of the column receiving the first significant digit.

4. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which a selectively settable device is provided and as-' sociated with said settable device, said selectively settable device being arranged when set in one position to control the escapement mechanism to interrupt the card in the column related to the first section, and when set in another position to interrupt the card in only those columns related to the sections containing significant digits, the escapement mechanism being effective after each significant figure punching operation to advance the card freely to the next column to receive a significant figure punching.

5. In a punching machine, a row of punches, means for moving a card containing data receiving columns, past said row of punches, a settable device set to represent a digit, means controlled thereby for controlling the operation of said punches, means for preselecting the card column to be punched and means controlled by said settable device through said preselecting means for interrupting the operation of said moving means when the selected column is at the row of punches, said settable device being rendered efiective, when the card feed is interrupted, to cause punching of the digit set up.

6. In a punching machine, a punch, means for moving a card containing data receiving columns, past said punch, a settable device set to represent a digit, a magnet for controlling the operation of said punch, means for preselecting the card column to be punched, a circuit connection including said settable device, said magnet and said preselecting means, completed when the selected column is at the punch, a magnet included in said connection for interrupting the card feed with the selected column at the punch, said first-named magnet being effective after the second named magnet is energized, to cause the operation of said punch.

WALTER SCHEERER. 

